Carrying case for bottles and divider structure therefor



March 15, 1966 J. H. FOX

CARRYING CASE FOR BOTTLES AND DIVIDER STRUCTURE THEREFOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 19, 1962 \mmwm QSQMKXJk INVENTOR JOHN H. FOX

BY wry HIS ATTORNEYS March 15, 1966 J. H. FOX 3,240,378

CARRYING CASE FOR BOTTLES AND DIVIDER STRUCTURE THEREFOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 19, 1962 INVENTOR JOHN H. FOX

BY JZW HIS ATTORNEYS March 15, 1966 J. H. FOX

CARRYING CASE FOR BOTTLES AND DIVIDER STRUCTURE THEREFOR 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed April 19, 1962 FIG.6

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X R mm NH E m O IJ BY i4 HIS ATTORNEYS J. H. FOX CARRYING CASE FOR BOTTLES AND DIVIDER STRUCTURE THEREFOR March 15, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 4.

Filed April 19. 1962 INVENTOR JOHN H. FOX

BY my FIGJ5 HIS ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,240,378 CARRYING CASE FOR BOTTLES AND DIVIDER STRUCTURE THEREFOR John H. Fox, Chester-field County, Va., assignor to Reynolds Metals Company, Richmond, Va., a corporation of Delaware Filed Apr. 19, 1962, Ser. No. 188,755 1 Claim. (Cl. 22021) This invention relates to an improved carrying case for bottles and the like as well as to improved divider structures and parts for such a carrying case or the like.

Heretofore, many attempts have been made to provide a carrying case for bottles and the like wherein the carrying case is long lasting, durable, and attractive in design.

However, when such carrying cases are made from wood and the like, the wooden carrying cases rapidly deteriorate during continued use thereof whereby high maintenance costs are encountered to maintain the cases in attractive appearance.

Therefore, various attempts have been made to produce such carrying cases from aluminum-containing metallic material or the like wherein the major structure of the carrying case is formed from such metallic material so that the carrying case will be durable, long lasting, and atractive in appearance without excessive maintenance costs.

Such prior known aluminum-containing metallic material carrying cases have rather complicated divider structure which tends to increase the cost of manufacturing such cases not only because of the cost of producing the divider structure but also because of the cost of assembling the divider structure in the carrying case.

According to the teachings of this invention, however,

an improved carrying case is provided having the above advantages of the prior known metallic carrying cases and the like and having the further advantages of having a unique divider structure which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and can be assembled into the carrying case in a relatively simple and non-time consuming manner.

In particular, the divider structure of this invention comprises a one-piece molded plastic structure or the like which is substantially flexible so that the same can be easily inserted in the metallic carrying case and secured thereto in a manner hereinafter shown and described without requiring time-consuming operations.

The carrying case and divider structure of this invention are so constructed and arranged that the carrying case can be utilized with one divider structure of this invention to carry bottles of a particular size, such as twenty-four twelve or sixteen ounce bottles, in individual article-receiving compartments thereof.

However, the particular carrying case can be converted to carry twenty-four six, eight or ten ounced bottles in individual article-receiving compartments thereof by readily removing the first divider structure and inserting another divider structure of this invention in the carrying case.

Further, such carrying case can be readily converted to carry four six-pack cartons of bottles by removing the divider structure and inserting an adapter of this invention in the carrying case to reduce the compartment size thereof to a size adaptable to receive the four six-pack cartons and prevent excess movement therebetween.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved carrying case for bottles and the like having one or more of the novel features of this invention hereinafter set forth above or hereinafter shown or described.

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Another object of this invention is to provide an imiaioved divider structure for such a carrying case or the A further object of this invention is to provide improved parts for such a carrying case or the like.

Other objects, uses, and advantages of this invention are apparent from a reading of this description which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings forming a part thereof and wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of the improved carrying case of this invention.

FIGURE 2 is an exploded perspective view illustrating the various parts of the carrying case of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged, fragmentary, cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 4 is a view similar to FIGURE 3 and is taken on line 44 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a view similar to FIGURE 4 illustrating another embodiment of this invention.

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged, fragmentary top view of another divider structure of this invention.

FIGURE 7 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on line 77 of FIGURE 6.

FIGURE 8 is a view similar to FIGURE 6 and illustrates another divider structure of this invention.

FIGURE 9 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on line 9-9 of FIGURE 8.

FIGURE 10 is a perspective view of the carrying case of this invention utilizing an adapter of this invention to reduce the compartment size of the carrying case.

FIGURE 11 is a top view of the carrying case illustrated in FIGURE 10.

FIGURE 12 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken on line 12-12 of FIGURE 11.

FIGURE 13 is a top view of the adapter of this invention.

FIGURE 14 is a side view of the adapter of FIG- URE 13.

FIGURE 15 is an end view of the adapter of FIG- URE 13.

While the various features of this invention are hereinafter described and illustrated as being particularly adaptable for forming a carrying case for bottles and the like, it is to be understood that the various features of this invention can be utilized singly or in any combination thereof to provide other constructions as desired.

Therefore, this invention is not to be limited to only the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, because the drawings are merely utilized to illustrate one of the wide variety of uses of this invention.

Referring now to FIGURE 1, an improved carrying case of this invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral 10 and comprises side wall means 11 secured to a bottom wall means 12 in a manner hereinafter described to define an open ended, substantially rectangular compartment 13 receiving a divider structure 14 of this invention in such a manner that the divider structure 14 cooperates with the side wall means 11 to define a plurality of article-receiving compartments 15, twenty-four such compartments 15 being illustrated as being the conventional number of beverage bottles provided for each carrying case 10.

As illustrated in FIGURE 2, the side wall means 11 of the carrying case 10 is formed from a pair of like side wall members 16 formed of any suitable material and in any suitable manner.

For example, the side wall members 16 can comprise identical extrusions of aluminum-containing metallic material or the like suitably stamped and bent into the configuration illustrated in FIGURE 2 wherein each side wall member 16 has a substantially straight portion 17 forming" one side wall of the carrying case 10 and integrally joined to a long leg 18 and a short leg 19 at the opposed ends thereof, the long leg 18 and short leg 19 of each side member 16 cooperating respectively with the short leg 19 and long leg 18 of the other side wall member 16 to form opposed side walls of the carrying case in a manner hereinafter described.

The long leg 18 of each side wall member 16 has inwardly off-set tab means 20 at the free end thereof which are adapted to be disposed on the inside surface of the adjacent short leg 19 of the other side wall member 16 in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 1 whereby the side wall members 16 can be secured together by rivets 21 to provide the continuous side wall means 11 of the carrying case 10.

As illustrated in FIGURES, each side wall member 16 has a cross-sectional configuration defined by a vertical web 22 having a U-shaped member 23 secured to the.

lower end thereof and a U-shaped'member 24 secured to the upper end thereof, the lower U-shaped member 23 comprising a pair of spaced flanges 25 and 26 which define an inwardly facing channel 27 therebetween adapted to receive the bottom wall member 12 in a manner hereinafter described.

' The upper U-shaped member 24 of each side wall member 16 has a pair of outwardly directed flanges 28 and 29 secured together by a vertically extending web 30 which is disposed inboard from the vertical web 22 to define a shoulder or flange means 31 in the interior of the carrying case 10 and disposed above the bottom wall member 12 for a purpose hereinafter described.

Each long leg 18 of each side wall member 16 is provided with a hand receiving opening 32 formed by cutting away the material of the long leg 18 below the flange means 31 thereof, the upper edge of each hand hold 32 being defined by a curved and reversely turned part 33 to provide a smooth handle surface to be grasped when carrying the carrying case 10 in a conventional manner.

The bottom wall member 12 comprises a one piece, substantially rectangular member formed of any suitable material and in any suitable manner.

For example, the bottom wall member 12 can be formed from masonite or the like, because the same is relatively strong and durable, will not bend, warp, crack, or absorb water and water-borne contamination, and gives the distinctive appearance of light-weight aluminum.

The bottom wall member 12 is provided with a plurality of drainage apertures 34 and slots 35 to permit any moisture in the carrying case 10 to readily drain therefrom.

When it is desired to assemble together a pair of side wall members 16 and a bottom wall member 12 to form the carrying case 10, the peripheral edge of the bottom wall member 12 is inserted in the lower channel 27 of one of the side wall members 16 by effecting longitudinal movement therebetween. Thereafter, the other side wall member 16 is moved in the same plane as the other side ball member 16 to receive the remaining peripheral edge of the bottom wall member 12 in the bottom channel 27 thereof, as well as to cause the short legs 19 of each side wall member 16 to overlap the tab means 20 of the longer legs 18 thereof.

When the shorter legs 19 of the side wall members 16 have overlapped the tab means 20, the entire peripheral edge of the bottom wall member 12 is received in the channels 27 of the side wall member 16 to prevent relative movement therebetween and secure the bottom wall member 12 thereto.

Subsequently, the side wall members 16 are secured together in the assembled position by the rivets 21 interconnecting the short legs 19 to the long legs 18 to produce a continuous side wall means 11, as illustrated in FIGURE 1.

' The divider structure 14 of this invention can be formed of any suitable material and in any suitable manner.

For example, the embodiment of the divider structure 14 illustrated in FIGURES 1 and 2 comprises an integrally molded structure of flexible material, such as a linear polyethylene or the like.

The divider structure 14 comprises a plurality of parallel and spaced longitudinal sections 36 integrally joined to a plurality of parallel and spaced transverse sections 37 at pillar structures 38, the pillar structures 38- giving strength and rigidity to the divider structure 14.

The longitudinal and transverse sections 36 and 37 are relieved inwardly from the bottoms thereof at 39 at the junctu-res thereof to not only reduce the weight of the divider structure 14 but also to add flexibility thereto and provide tapering ends on the sections 36 and 37 to facilitate easy removal of the divider structure 14 from the molding apparatus.

A plurality of horizontally disposed bars 40 are integrally joined to and project outwardly from the adjacent ends of the sections 36 and 37 to provide means for securing the divider structure 14 in the carrying case 10 in a manner now to be described.

In particular, the bars 40 are so constructed and arranged that the same define an outer periphery of the divider structure 14 which is slightly larger than the inner periphery of the carrying case 10 at the webs 30 thereof so that the divider structure 14 when inserted vertically downwardly into the rectangular compartment 13 of the carrying case 10 must be inwardly flexed to pass the webs 30 thereof.

As the divider structure 14 is pushed vertically downwardly into the rectangular compartment 13 of the carrying case 10, the bars 40 thereof eventually clear the webs 30 of the side wall means 11 and snap outwardly underneath the flange means 31 thereof to hold the divider structure 14 in the carrying case 10 as illustrated in Figures 3 and 4.

If desired, the bars 40 of the divider structure 14 can be so constructed and arranged that the same, when snapped under the flange means 31 of the side wall means 11, place the divider structure 14 under slight compression between the bottom wall member 12 and the flange means 31 as well as under slight compression between the op posed sides of the carryingcase 10 whereby the bars 40 continually press against the inside surface of the webs 22 of the side wall means 11 as well as against the under surface of the flange means 31 of the side wall means 11 to firmly hold the divider structure 14 in place and prevent movement thereof relative to the carrying case 10.

Therefore, it can be seen that it is a relatively simple operation to form the divider structure 14 in one-piece construction to provide a plurality of article. receiving compartments 15 in the case 10. Further, it is a relatively simple operation to insert the divider structure 14 in the carrying case 10'by merely inwardly flexing the divider structure 14 to clear the inwardly set webs 30 of the side wall means 11 so that the divider structure 14 can be snap fitted into its proper position in the carrying case 10.

If desired, the central longitudinal section 36 of the divider structure 14 can be provided with a pair of out wardly directed lugs 41, FIGURE 5, at the opposed ends thereof which are disposed below the bars 40 and are adapted to snap past the turned upper edges of the hand holds 32 when the divider structure 14 is inserted in the case 10 to engage the under surfaces of the turned edges 33 to further hold the divider structure 14 in place in the carrying case 10, the lugs 41 respectively having caming surfaces 42 which permit the lugs 41 to be easily pushed beyond the turned edges 33 of the hand holds 321 when the divider structure 14 is initially inserted in the carrying case 10.

Should the divider structure 14 become subsequently damaged during the use of the carrying case 10, it is a relatively simple operation to remove the damaged divider structure 14 and replace the same with a new divider structure 14 Without dismantling the: remainder of the carrying case 10 as required in prior known. coustfi lfilq In particular, the damaged divider structure 14 can be readily removed from the carrying case by inwardly flexing the same so as to clear the bars 40 thereof from under the flange means 31 so that the divider structure 14 can be vertically lifted from the carrying case 10.

Thereafter, a new divider structure 14 can be inserted in the carrying case 10in the manner previously described by inwardly flexing the same to permit the bars 40 to clear the inset webs 30 and be snapped underneath the flange means 31 to hold the new divider structure 14 in place in the above manner.

While the divider structure 14 previously described has the relieved portions 39 to reduce the weight of the divider structure 14 as well as add flexibility thereto, it has been found that beverage bottle distributors normally ignore the handholes 32 when carrying the carrying cases 10.

For example, the beverage bottle distributor normally grasps the neck of a bottle disposed adjacent the hand hold 32 at one end of the carrying case 10 to carry the carrying case 10.

Therefore, it may be desirable to provide the divider structure 14 without relieving either the longitudinal sections 36 or transverse sections 37 at the opposed ends thereof so as to provide substantially rigid structure throughout the joining lengths of the longitudinal sections 36 and transverse sections 37 at the end rows thereof.

In this manner, should the beverage bottle distributor grasp one of the end bottles to carry the carrying case 10, the sections 36 and 37 have greater strength to resist the forces placed thereon when an end bottle is grasped to lift the carrying case 10 than when the sections 36 and 37 are relieved at 39 as previously described.

However, it has been found that even though the terminal portions of the sections 36- and 37 are relieved at 39, the same'still have sufiicient structural strength to withstand the forces imposed thereon when the carrying case 10 is being carried by one of the end bottles thereof.

It has been found that the carrying case 10 of this invention can have the compartment 13 thereof provided with a longitudinal dimension between the inside surfaces of the opposed end walls thereof of approximately 17 /2 inches below the flange means 31 and a transverse dimension between the inside surfaces of the opposed side walls thereof of approximately 11% inches below the flange means 31 to permit the divider structure 14 disposed therein to receive twenty-four, twelve or sixteen ounce bottles.

However, should it be desired to utilize the same size carrying case 10 with twenty-four, six, eight or ten ounce bottles, the bottle-receiving compartments of the divider structure 14 are too large to properly hold the smaller sized bottles.

Therefore, in order to adapt that particular carrying case 10 to smaller sized bottles, the divider structure 14 would 'have to have the widths of the sections 36 and 37 thereof substantially increased whereby the overall cost of the divider structure 14 would be excessive.

However, it has been found that special divider structure can be utilized with such a size carrying case 10 to convert the same from twelve or sixteen ounce bottles to six, eight or ten ounce bottles by merely removing the large bottle-receiving divider structure 14 and replacing the same with another divider structure of this invention adapted to receive smaller sized bottles.

In particular, another divider structure of this invention is generally indicated by the reference numeral 42 in FIGURES 6 and 7, and comprises a plurality of longitudinal sections 36a and transverse sections 37a formed in the same manner previously described to provide a divider, structure 42 adapted to 'be inserted in and secured to the carrying case 10 in the manner previously described, the sections 36a and 37a having the same widths as the sections 36 and 37.

However, the individual article receiving compartment 6 15a of the divider structure 42 are effectively shrunk from the size of the divider structure 14 by a plurality of beads 43 extending vertically down the mid-points of the sections 36a and 37a of each compartment 15a to accommodate the smaller sized bottles 44 as illustrated in FIGURE 6.

Therefore, it can be seen that the divider structure 42 can be made with substantially the same amount of material as the divider structure 14 previously described and can be utilized in a carrying case normally adapted to carry twenty-four, twelve or sixteen ounce bottles to convert the carrying case 10 to effectively carry twentyfour six, eight or ten ounce bottles, the divider structure 42 being similar to the divider structure 14 previously described in all material respects except for the beads 43.

Alternately, another divider structure 45, FIGURES 8 and 9, can be utilized with the larger carrying case 10 to convert the same from twelve or sixteen ounce bottles to six, eight or ten ounce bottles.

In particular, the divider structure 45 is formed in substantially the same manner as the :d'ivider structure 14 previously described except that the longitudinal sections 36b and transverse sections 37b respectively have outwardly directed horizontally disposed beads 46 formed along the upper edges thereof to effectively shrink the bottle receiving compartments 15b thereof to receive the smaller sized bottles 44. I

Therefore, it can be seen that the divider structure 45 utilizes substantially the same amount of material as the divider structure 14 previously described but permits the larger size carrying case 10 to effectively carry smaller sized bottles than the divider structure 14 previously described.

Since the divider structures 14, 42' and 45 of this invention can be readily snapped into and out of place in the carrying case 10 in the manner previously described, to convert the same from large size bottles to small size bottles without dismantling the case or requiring excessive maintenance costs, the bottler need only buy one particular size of the carrying case 10 and can convert the same back and forth between large sized bottles and small sized bottles by utilizing the various divider structures of this invention in a relatively simple and non-time consuming manner.

Further, by following the teachings of this invention, the bottler can utilize the same size carrying case 10 to carry four six-pack cartons of bottles or the like by merely reducing the size of the compartment 13 of the carrying case 10 by an adapter 47 of this invention illus trated in FIGURES 10-15. v

As previously set fcrth,.the carrying case 10 has a longitudinal inside dimension of approximately 17 /2 inches :and a transverse dimension of approximately 11% inches below the flange means31 to permit the carrying case 10 to receive the divider structure 14 to carry twentyfour, twelve or sixteen ounce bottles.

However, it has been found that when a carrying case or the like is utilized to carry four, six-pack cartons of bottles or the like, the inside dimensions of the compartment receiving the same should have a longitudinal. dimension of approximately 14 inches and a transverse inside dimension of approximately 10% inches.

Therefore, by utilizing the adapter 47 of this invention with the carrying case 10 adapted to be utilized with the divider structure 14 for carrying twenty-four, twelve or sixteen ounce bottles, the bottler is adapted to convert the carrying case 10 to a carrying case for four six-pack cartons of bottles or the like.

As illustrated in FIGURES 13-15, the adapter 47 of this invention comprises two like members 48 secured together by stub welds 49 or the like to define a pair of opposed side courses 50 and a pair of opposed end courses 51 integrally joined together and genenally disposed in the same plane.

The side. courses 50 respectively have outwardly directed, U-shaped sections 52 which define inwardly disposed, U-sh-aped sections 53 intermediate the same.

The end courses 51 of the adapter 47 each have a pairof inwardly disposed sections 54 integnal-ly in-terconnected to the end outwardly disposed sections 52 of the side courses 50, the adjacent inwardly disposed sections 54 of the respective end course 51 being joined together by a downwardly and outwardly extending V- shaped section 55.

The distance between opposed inwardly set sections 53 of the side courses 50 is approximately 10 /8 inches while the distance between the inwardly disposed sections 54- of the end courses 51 is approximately 14 /2 inches.

When the diameter or thickness of the adapter 47 is approximately /2 of an inch, the distance between the outwardly disposed portions of opposed outwardly disposed sections 52 of the side courses 50 is approximately 11% inches while the distance between the outboard portions of the apexes of the V-shaped sections 55 of the endcourses 51 is approximately 17 /2 inches whereby it can-be seen that the adapter 47 can be readily inserted in the carrying case 10 having the aforementioned dimensions to reduce the effective compartment size thereof to one adapted to receive four, six-pack cartons 56 of bottles or the. like illustrated in FIGURE 11.

While the adapter'47 can be formed of any suitable material and in any suitable manner, it is preferred that the adapter be formed of sufficiently resilient material so that the same can be snap fitted into the carrying case 10 without dismantling the carrying case 10.

For example, the adapter 47 can be formed from plastic material in a manner similar to the divider structures 14, 42 and 45.

Alternately the adapter 47 can be formed from aluminum-containing metallic material, such as aluminum alloy, 5052-H34 or 6061-T4.

In addition, the adapter 47 can be formed of carbon steel coated with plastic or the like.

In any. event, the adapter 47 is made of sufliciently resilient material so that when the adapter 47 is inserted in carrying case 10, the adapter 47 is adapted to have the outboard portions 52 and 55 thereof inwardly flexed to clear the inset webs 30 of the side wall means 11 so that the side'sections 52 are adapted to snap under the flange means 31- of the side wall means 11 at the same time that the apexes of the V-shaped sections 55 of the end courses .51 engage the bottom wall means 12 of the carrying case 10, the apexes of the V-shaped sections 55 of the end courses 51 also engaging the inside surface of the side wall means 11.

The adapter 47 can be so constructed and arranged relative to the carrying case 10 that the side courses 50 thereof are placed under slight. compression between the opposed sides of the carrying case 10 as well as under slight compression between the flange means 31 and the bottom 'wall means 12 of the carrying case 10 to prevent relative movement of the adapter 47 relative to the carrying case When the adapter 47 has been snap fitted into the carrying case 10 inthe manner illustrated in FIGURE 10, four like, six-pack cartons 56 of bottles or the like are adapted to be disposed in the reduced compartment of the carrying case 10 in the manner illustrated in FIGURE 11 whereby the sides of the cartons 56 are adapted to respectively engage or be guided by the inwardly disposed sections 53 and 54 of the adapter 47.

As fully illustrated in FIGURE 10, the V-shaped sections 55 'of the end courses 51 of the adapter 47 are adapted to straddle thehand holds 32 whereby the adapter 47 in no way distracts from the normal carrying procedure of the carrying case 10.

Therefore, it can be seen that a standard size carrying case 10 can be provided to carry twenty-four, twelve or sixteen ounce bottles by utilizing the divider structure 14 of this invention. The same carrying case can then be converted to carry twenty-four, six eight or ten ounce bottles by removing the divider structure 14 and replacing the same with a divider structure 42 or 45 of this invention. Further, the same size carrying case can be converted to carry four, six-pack cartons of bottles or the like by removing the divider structure thereof and replacing the same with the adapter 47 of this invention whereby the particular carrying case 10-has many applications thereof without requiring the beverage bottler to maintain various sized carrying bases, as in the past.

Therefore, the beverage bottler need only maintain equipment and machinery adapted to handle a particular sized carrying case 10 even though the carrying case 10 is utilized for a number of different purposes.

Accordingly, it can be seen that this invention provides an improved carrying case for bottles or the like as well as an improved divider structure and parts thereof for converting the carrying case to carry bottles and cartons of different sizes.

While certain dimensions and materials have heretofore been given as examples, it is to be understood that the same are not limitations of the invention and are merely given as typical examples that can be utilized.

While the form of the invention now preferred has been disclosed as required by the statutes, other forms may be used, all coming within the scope of the claim which follows.

What is claimed is:

A carrying case for bottles and the like and having side wall means and bottom wall means cooperating together to define an open ended compartment in said case, said side wall means having inwardly directed horizontal flange means disposed out of the plane of said side wall means and opposed hand-receiving openings each having an inwardly turned horizontal edge, and a divider structure snap-fittingly disposed in said compartment solely by the flexure of said divider structure, said divider structure having a plurality of longitudinally disposed and vertically extending section means provided with opposed ends, said divider structure having a plurality of transversely disposed and vertically extending section means provided with opposed ends, said section means cooperating together to define article-receiving compartments, said divider structure having a plurality of horizontally disposed bars respectively joining together adjacent ends of said section means and disposed between said bottom wall means and said flange means to hold said divider structure insaid compartment of said case, said section means having means engaging the undersurfaces of said turned edges of said side wall means to further hold said divider structure in said case.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,339,474 1/1944 Hardin 217-19 2,923,428 2/1960 Averill 220-17 3,029,970 4/ 1962 Brandon 2202l 3,034,679 5/1962 Balfour 220-21 3,037,658 6/1962 Schray 22017 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

EARLE J. DRUMMOND, LOUIS G. MANCENE,

Examiners. 

